So, I have a Cobra in my runner right now, and a Uniden on its way.

I have a PA hooked up to the Cobra, and the Uniden has a PA speaker coming with it too.

I was wondering if I should hook up two seperate PAs or if I should combine both speakers to one CB? And if I did hook both up to one CB it would be the Cobra, and how would I do that? because there is only one jack for the pa on the back of the CB.

Also, I want to get a 7ft. Firestik antenna to mount on my back tube bumper I'm also getting soon, but I can't find a 7ft. firestik that has a handheld tunable tip. Has anyone seen one???

If not, has anyone had the Firestik w/o the handheld tunable tip? How are those??

After I get one antenna I'm going to get another 3 or 4ft firestik and mount it on my front bumper diagonal to the one on the back bumper.
How should I set up the dual antennas?

Is there a way to hook up both to one CB? or should I have one antenna hooked up to each CB? Would that be cool?

Thanks
Scott

 

You can go to Radio Shack and buy a Antenna splitter (about 15 bucks). I am not to sure on the PA you could talk to the tech at RS. ??? Why do you need dual CBs

 

7ft is kinda over kill but I dont think firestick makes a 7ft thats tunable

http://www.wearecb.com/store/firesti...oot-p-198.html

theres also a CB/electronics section that might have answers for ya.

Also, why do you want to hook up both cbs? Just for the PA?

DUal sticks only help your signal front and back. Theres a thread about this. Edit: many threads, haha

 

You have a few options available to you.

Go to your local truck stop if want to run dual antennas. You can buy a complete kit with the co-phases coax, mounts & antennas. I think they look pretty cool on a p/u as long as you don't mind drilling some holes here & there.


Just so you are aware of this, The best place for a CB antenna is dead center on your roof, It will work 10x better there. You can get a magnet mount or drill a hole for a permanent mount, Wilson is by far the the most popular. You could get a Wilson 1000, it's a great antenna!


I put a CB in my truck but didn't want to drill a hole in my roof, see a wire hanging out my window, etc. So I got an antenna splitter that way I could use the factory stereo antenna for the stereo & the CB. Now this is only suitable if you are not worried about talking long distances. In my case it was a compromise I was willing to take as I only use my CB on long highway trips & such. If I wanted to talk I would put a Wilson dead center om my roof & call it done.

I have been messing around with CB radios for years. In my Bronco II I had a cobra 29 that was tweaked & peaked along with a 250 Palomar Linear & 102" stainless steel whip. It could talk pretty good.

Also, don't forget to check your SWR setting as it is important with how well your CB will transmit & receive. Rule of thumb, the higher your antenna is mounted on the vehicle, the better it will perform.

As far as the PA goes, you could hook up both PA's to one CB with a y splitter or by cutting & splicing the wires. I recently hooked up a PA system on my buddies van that is louder than the police car PA's! It's a blast & one time I spent 1 hour in front of a police car being harassed because of it. I have also even hooked up car amplifiers to 100 watt PA's.

 

Well, the 7ft antenna is being mounted on the back bumper on my runner so it will actually probably be around 3-4ft above the roof or so.

As far as the 2 cb radios I kindda want to be able to run 2 so I can be on 2 channels at the same time.

I could do a splitter for the PAs and run both on one CB, I might do that, but I also wanted the option of using either or speaker by itself, since one is going to be pointed toward people driving behind me. lol. (Its mainly for off road).

And I don't wanna put the antenna on the roof, I don't like it way up there to get damaged.

Thanks

 

In that case I would run two separate antennas, one for each CB.

 

Do not try to run one antenna for 2 cb's- when you transmit on one you'll be putting several watts into the other, not something they're designed for.

Firestik does not make an hand-tunable 7' antenna. visit firestik.com for more info on their antennae.

 

Antennas are at a pre set length....they have whats called a 102 inch whip. It is the most optimum in length , non tunable. Another way to tune your SWR (standing wave ratio) with a nontunable antenna is by length of the coax. 8 ft of coax is usually optimum. I found 11 ft to be best on my old pathfinder with a 102 whip.

But I have to say you really cant beat a good K40 or Wilson 500 antenna. I have had great success and rugged reliability with my Wilson 500 magnetic.
I like the magnetic because I dont have to keep it up and no holes are neccessary and the magnet many times offers a better ground than permanent sets. I would go to the truck stop and get a wilson or k40.

Uniden now owns Cobra. They are both good radios.

 

you can fry a radio by keying up a radio to close to it

 

What do you mean by keying up?

 

Keying up = Pushing the transmit button. You do not want to key them both up at the same time or like DIRT CLOD said you may burn them up. It may happen if they are really close too & you only key up one but doubtful. You really do need 1 antenna per radio.

If you want to get technical, The ideal set up is 18 foot of coax & a 102" whip. To compensate for this the smaller antennas (Wilson, K 40, Fire stick, etc wrap the excess copper wire in a spiral that makes up for that 102 inches. The Fire sticks will be coiled up the fiberglass stick & Wilson's & K40's will be base loaded (coiled in the base)

Anyhow, Get yourself 2 separate antennas & mount them on opposite sides of your bumper. Or just get 1 CB & call it good. Do you want to speak on both or only speak on 1 & monitor the other?

Dirt Clod is 100% correct about the K40 & Wilson antennas, They both make a great antenna that will work great & are durable, but will need to go on the roof so that eliminates them for you. They sell plenty of stick antennas with tunable tips, Cobra & K40 both make them.

 

I wanted to monitor one and speak on the other, yes.

I was thinking about mounting them about 6inches away from each other. lol.

I am hands down getting a firestik, I've tried Wilson and now I want to see how the firestiks are for myself.

Yeah, I probably should just run 1 cb. And if I did, in that case would I use a 18 inch coax cable for the 7ft. firestik on the rear bumper? I was also thinking of going 6ft. or maybe even 5ft (With the 5ft. I would get the hand tunable tip). (I'm still thinking about what length though).

 

OK, 1 other option for you. Hook your CB up like you want it so you can monitor & talk on 1 channel. Then get a scanner (police scanner) Just make sure that it receives the CB band. You can get a small one & mount it in your dash. I did this in my Bronco II. Aside from the CB band, you can also pick up the older analog police, fire dept & emergency broadcast.

Just a thought. Here's a pick of my old set-up.

 

Can those scanners pick up police talking on their radios?

 

Just think about it & you will figure it all out like you want it. 2 CB's will need 2 antennas though. 2 fire sticks might even look cool on your truck (a mini diesel)

Good luck to you & post some pics when done, I wanna see it!

 

I will for sure.

 

YES! First you need to figure out if your city or town uses an analog or digital trunked system. If it's analog then it's not too bad to figure out, If it's a digital trunked system then you will need to be Einstein to figure it out! I would just go on Ebay & look for an older scanner that covers the CB band. This list will show you what frequency corresponds to the channel. I wouldn't worry about the police & such right away, as you understand the scanner you will figure it out & have lots of fun! I listen to my neighbors on their cordless phones on mine, it's modified a bit.

1 26.965 MHz
2 26.975 MHz
3 26.985 MHz
4 27.005 MHz
5 27.015 MHz
6 27.025 MHz Superbowl of CB Radio
7 27.035 MHz
8 27.055 MHz
9 27.065 MHz
10 27.075 MHz
11 27.085 MHz
12 27.105 MHz
13 27.115 MHz
14 27.125 MHz
15 27.135 MHz
16 27.155 MHz
17 27.165 MHz
18 27.175 MHz
19 27.185 MHz Truckers Channel
20 27.205 MHz
21 27.215 MHz
22 27.225 MHz
23 27.255 MHz
24 27.235 MHz
25 27.245 MHz
26 27.265 MHz
27 27.275 MHz
28 27.285 MHz
29 27.295 MHz
30 27.305 MHz
31 27.315 MHz
32 27.325 MHz
33 27.335 MHz
34 27.345 MHz
35 27.355 MHz
36 27.365 MHz LSB ONLY
37 27.375 MHz LSB ONLY
38 27.385 MHz LSB ONLY
39 27.395 MHz LSB ONLY
40 27.405 MHz

 

Lol. I wanna listen to my neighbors! That's super funny.

Yeah I will definately look into it for sure after the CB set up.

 

I have an 8.5ft whip on the chevy and the toyota, I get about a 2mile range, which was the same I got with my 4ft fiberglass, but I have the top of the line bluetooth CB from cobra in the chevy...I had the cheap cobra one, and I could talk to people 1000ft or so away, if you were any closer you couldnt hear them...wont get that one again!

I havent tested the toyotas yet, im still trying to find a place to mount the CB!!

Both trucks its mounted in the bed on the passenger side near the cab.

 

man, when I ws younger I used to be a C.B. nut. I was into using lots of wattage to attain as it was to what I desired. The problem was the interferance I was causing on the neighborhood phones and radios and such.
Anyways, get a ball mount for each side of your rear bumper and a couple of steel 102" whips and have at it. I would definately NOT recommend ANYTHING FIBERGLASS. Fiberglass will break if it happens to encounter anything within its whipping reach. I have lost many an antenna and have had a few fiberglass antennas snap. Once one even broke my windsheild in my old Scout as I stopped ubruptly on a downgrade and it whipped the tree limb above me. It snapped and flipped the top forward and I guess an end hit the sheild.
anyways.....ramble ramble...... I'd go with steel. If you are going to be transmitting (especially on an AM radio) through both, even if not simultaneously, I would seperate them across the bumper. That close together I can only see them causing problems, hitting each other and and making alot of noise etc... may eliminate feedback as well. I just see two radios being a problem.
Turborich is right about the scanner, it would be your best way to go plus alot of fun. You can get some that are very reasonabvly priced as well. Go to the truck stop and check out the C.B. section you'll come up with something.

Turborich, nice freq. list!